Consequently, when her father died four years later, Cleopatra, only 17 at the time, and her brother Ptolemy XIII, 12, inherited the throne by default (Cleopatra 1).
Becoming queen at such an early age wasn't easy, and contrary to the way some sources portray her today, Cleopatra was not very beautiful. The crude images on some ancient coins depict her as having a "sensitive mouth, firm chin, liquid eyes, broad forehead and prominent nose" (Perowne 377 ). Yet, she had certain qualities, such as a good voice and a great personality, which helped her get her way and made her the great ruler that she was. She had a very sharp mind, and with this she managed to learn nine different languages. On top of it all, she was intensely seductive and most men found it impossible to resist her allure. She came to represent the "prototype of the romantic femme fatale"(377). These qualities, as well as her keen intelligence, charm, and political savvy, made Cleopatra the great person she was. .
According to tradition, Cleopatra had to have a co-ruler so she married her brother Ptolemy XIII. However, Ptolemy just stood in the background while she ruled. He was a pharaoh in name only. After three years of putting up with the situation, Ptolemy and his advisors took over the throne in 48 BC and drove Cleopatra and her sister, Arsinoe, out of the country. Disgusted, she went to Syria and made the decision to gather an army and rebel. .
Her plan was rudely interrupted by an urgent order from Julius Caesar, a man whose friend, Pompey, had just been killed by Ptolemy XIII. Caesar was appalled by this brutal murder. In order to stop the cruelty he had arranged a rendezvous in Alexandria to settle the dispute between Cleopatra and her brother (Cleopatra-Daughter 1). She was smuggled to Caesar in a rug, and it is rumored that he became her lover that very night. This was not surprising because, " the charm of her presence was irresistible, and there was an attraction in her person and her talk, together with a peculiar force of character which pervaded her every word and action, and laid all who associated with her under its spell" (Stanley 5).
